Tape end anchor for reels



Sept. 7, 1965 G. BERNAT TAPE END ANCHOR FOR REELS Filed Sept. 4, I963 INVENTOR G50? GE BERNAT United States Patent 3,204,888 TAPE END ANCHOR FUR REELS George Bernat, 1288 Maryland Ave, Johnstown, Pa. Filed Sept. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 306,442 3 Claims. (Cl. 242-74) This invention relates to a novel attachment for use with reels on which tape, film, ribbon or the like is wound, and has for its primary object to provide an anchoring member which may be readily attached to an end of a tape and detachably held in engagement with a part of a conventional reel on which the tape is wound, for anchoring said tape end to the reel.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide an anchor which can be utilized with conventional reels and tape, film or ribbon, without requiring any modification of the reel, or the tape or the like which is wound thereon, yet which will effectively function for anchoring an end of the tape to a part of the reel.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of a conventional reel containing a roll of tape, and showing two of the tape end anchors utilized for anchoring the ends of the tape to the reel;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary radial sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary radial sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of one of the tape end anchors, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 44 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view through one of the tape end anchors, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 5--5 of FIGURE 4, and

FIGURE 6 is an end elevational view of the tape end anchor.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the tape end anchor in its entirety and comprising the invention is designated generally 8 and includes a body or plug 9 of cylindrical cross section and of somewhat greater length than the diameter thereof, said body or plug 9 having substantially parallel corresponding end faces 10.

The body or plug 9 is provided with two correspond ing slots 11 which extend transversely therethrough and which are disposed in transversely spaced relation to one another. The slots 11 are disposed in planes parallel to the axis of the body or plug 9 and normal to the planes of the end faces 10.

The tape end anchor 8 also includes a lug 12 which projects from each end face 10. The lugs 12 are offset from the axis of the body or plug 9 and are disposed in alignment with one another. The lugs 12 have corresponding notches or recesses 13 which open toward 3,204,888 Patented Sept. 7, 1965 15. Said inner tape end 18 is threaded through one of the slots 11 of the anchor 8a and then back through the other slot 11 of said anchor. The anchor 8a is then positioned between the reel sides 20 and passed outwardly through an opening 21 of one of said reel sides, after which the anchor 8a is inserted longitudinally into the hub opening 16 with the folded portions of the tape end 18, which extend from the slots 11, extending outwardly through the hub slot 17. The tape 19 is then wound in a conventional manner on the hub 15 and between the reel sides 20, with the inner tape end 18 being retained anchored to said hub by the anchor member 8a. The wound tape will prevent the anchor 8a from sliding out of the opening 16.

A second tape end anchor, designated 8b, is shown in FIGURES 1 and 3 utilized for anchoring the other outer end 23 of the tape 19 to the reel sides 20 to hold the tape against unwinding. The outer tape end 23 is threaded through one of the slots 11 of the anchor 8b and then back through the other slot 11. The length of the body or plug 9 between its end faces 10 is slightly greater than the spacing between the inner surfaces of the reel sides 20. Said reel sides 20 are sprung apart slightly so that the anchor 8b may be inserted therebetween with the end faces 10 thereof frictionally engaging the inner surfaces of the reel sides 20, after release of said reel sides, and with the lugs 12 engaging portions of the peripheral edges 22 of the reel sides to limit the extent that the anchor 81) can be inserted radially inward between said reel sides. Thus, the outer tape end 23 is anchored to the reel 14 to prevent unwinding of the tape.

It is to be understood that the term tape is to include any strip intended to be wound on a reel, such as recording tape, motion picture film, ribbon or the like. It will also be apparent that the tape end anchor 8 may be made in various sizes and may be provided with slots of different lengths depending upon the size of the reel and the width of the tape, respectively, with which the anchor is to be utilized.

The distance between the extremities of the lugs 12 is no greater than the distance between the outer faces of the reel sides as seen in FIGURE 3. A finger can be inserted between the reel sides 20 for extracting the anchor 8b from the reel 14. After the tape 19 has thereafter been unwound from the reel 14, the anchor 8a may be extracted from either end of the hole or bore 16 by engaging a fingernail in one of the lugs notches 13 for pullin the anchor 8a from the hub opening 16. It will also be obvious that the tape ends may be as readily disengaged from the tape end anchors as engaged therewith and that said tape ends will not become accidentally disengaged from the anchors.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A tape end anchor comprising a plug of cylindrical cross section and of a diameter less than the length of said plug, said plug having transversely spaced slots extending transversely therethrough and through which "an end of a tape is adapted to be threaded for securing the tape end to the plug, said plug being adapted to detach ably engage in an opening of the reel hub for anchoring the tape end to the reel hub, a lug projecting from one end of said plug and having an undercut recess opening toward the axis of the plug and adapted to be engaged by a fingernail for extracting the plug from the reel hub opening.

2. In combination with a tape reel having spaced substantially parallel sides, a tape end anchor comprising an elongated body of circular cross section having transversely spaced slots extending transversely therethrough and disposed parallel to the axis of the body, said slots being adapted to receive an end of a tape for securing the tape to the body, aligned lugs projecting from the ends of said body to facilitate detachment of the body from the reel, said body being of a length slightly greater than the spacing between the reel sides for frictionally anchoring said body between the reel sides, and said lugs being oifset from the axis of said body and adapted to engage portions of the peripheries of the reel sides to limit the extent that the body can be inserted radially into the reel and to facilitate removal of the body therefrom.

3. A tape end anchor as in claim 2, and said lugs having undercut notches opening toward the axis of said body,

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/86 Lorenz. 11/33 Curran.

9/39 Werner 242-74 X 7/60 Johnston 24274.l 7/64- Simmons 20653 FOREIGN PATENTS 6/56 France. 5/41 Germany.

OTHER REFERENCES MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Examiner. 

1. A TAPE END ANCHOR COMPRISING A PLUG OF CYLINDRICAL CROSS SECTION AND OF A DIAMETER LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF SAID PLUG, SAID PLUG HAVING TRANSVERSELY SPACED SLOTS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THERETHROUGH AND THROUGH WHICH AN END OF A TAPE IS ADAPTED TO BE THREADED FOR SECURING THE TAPE END TO THE PLUG, SAID PLUG BEING ADAPTED TO DETACHABLY ENGAGE IN AN OPENING OF THE REEL HUB FOR ANCHORING THE TAPE END TO THE REEL HUB, A LUG PROJECTING FROM ONE END OF SAID PLUG AND HAVING AN UNDERCUT RECESS OPENING TOWARD THE AXIS OF THE PLUG AND ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED BY 